Transcript Document

Parents’ evening presentation
Help your son or daughter through the UCAS process
Contents
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Why go on to higher education?
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The applicant journey and how you can help
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Research
•
Personal statements
•
Offers and replies
•
Results
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Why higher education?
• Increase potential earnings*
• Better career prospects
• Benefit the wider community
• Social and cultural reasons
• More independence, self-confidence and responsibility
• Personal challenge
• Broadens interests and knowledge
• Better health
• It can be immense fun!
*Source: Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP, 2006, in
Universities UK, Research Report, The Economic Benefits
of a Degree
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The UCAS journey
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Research – it’s free and important to do
 Start at www.ucas.com
 Make sure your son or daughter signs up for a UCAS Card – they’ll
get monthly emails and discount on top-name brands.
 Research – career options, universities, courses and minimum entry
requirements.
 Attend a UCAS event – even if your son or daughter doesn’t know
what they want to do, speaking to those in the know will help.
 Learn from others – student videos
Find us on:
are available to watch at UCAS.tv.
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Other things to consider
• Work experience – professional
bodies, charities or at events
• Finance – course fees, grants, travel
and living costs
• Travel – to and from home
Living away
from home...
• Accommodation – uni halls or
private residences?
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How can you support the research process?
• Sign up to the monthly UCAS Parents
Newsletter.
• Download the 2014 UCAS Parent
Guide from the UCAS website.
• Offer to attend open days with them,
you may have a different perspective.
Visit
www.ucas.com/parents
• Financial assistance – with railway
tickets.
• Try to remain impartial.
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Key features of the UCAS scheme
• Your son or daughter can make up to
five choices in one application.
• The 2014 applicant fee is:
• £12 for one choice
• £23 for up to five choices.
• Applications received by the key
deadlines are given equal consideration.
In 2012...
 UCAS received 653,637
applications
 464,910 were accepted
• ‘Invisibility’ – universities cannot see
where else students have applied.
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Key dates and deadlines
Mid-June
Applicants can register and start to complete their application.
Mid-September
Schools can start to submit completed applications to UCAS.
15 October
Medicine, dentistry, veterinary sci/med and Oxford or Cambridge.
15 January
Application deadline for most courses.
24 March
Many art & design courses (check each course for deadline).
30 June
Applications after this date held for Clearing.
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The UCAS application
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Making the application
Apply is the UCAS online application system.
Every applicant has six sections to complete:
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Personal details
Student finance (UK and EU only)
Choices
Education
Employment
Personal statement.
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Once a student submits their
application, the reference is
added and it is sent to UCAS
who passes it on to the
university
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Personal statement – start early
Personal statements are so important, make sure your son or daughter includes:
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academic achievements, past and present
interests in the chosen subject area
knowledge of the subject and enthusiasm to go beyond the syllabus
what they enjoy about studying
Personal statements should
details of their independent study skills.
The questions universities and colleges will ask:
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stand out – tutors receive
200 per week!
have they chosen the right subject for the right reasons?
do they have a range of interests?
does the personal statement confirm their interest in the subject?
have they studied independently?
are they motivated and committed?
do they possess good numeracy and literacy skills?
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Decision-making by institutions
Universities and colleges will review:
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Personal statement
Reference
Qualifications
Admissions test results
Interviews
Portfolios
Auditions.
An admissions tutor may make one of three decisions:
Institutions may also offer a
place on an alternative
course
• Unconditional offer
• Conditional offer
• Unsuccessful.
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Tracking applications
Track will allow your son or daughter to:
• follow the progress of their application
24/7
• see their choices and personal
information
• display their offers
Track is our online
system that allows
students to follow
the progress of
their application
• reply to offers online.
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Replying to offers
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When your son or daughter receives decisions
from all of their choices they will need to make
their replies by a set date.
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They can now hold a maximum of two offers:
• Firm - their first choice. If they meet the
conditions of the offer they will be placed.
• Insurance – acts as a back-up choice and
only comes into play if they are not placed
with their firm choice.
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If they do not receive any
offers they can make an
additional choice through the
Extra scheme
If your son or daughter fails to reply to their
offers by the deadline date, all offers will be
automatically declined.
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Extra
If your son or daughter does not get an
offer from any of their choices they can
use Extra.
• Students eligible for Extra:
• Used all five choices
• All choices unsuccessful, cancelled or offers
declined
• No option for firm or insurance
• Universities have 21 days to respond
• Existing apply information used.
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Extra is open
between
February - July
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Confirmation
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Exam results are published – many are passed electronically to universities by UCAS.
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Admissions staff check if the applicant has met the conditions of the offer. There are
four possibilities:
1. If a student meets the conditions
of their firm choice. It’s time to
celebrate!
2. If a student doesn’t meet the conditions of
their firm choice, but meets the conditions of
their insurance choice (which should be
lower), they will be placed at their insurance
choice. It’s also time to celebrate!
3. If a student has not met the
conditions of their firm or
insurance choice (or no
insurance), they will be entered
into a process known as Clearing.
4. If a student meets and exceeds the
conditions of their offer, they are eligible for
Adjustment. This provides an opportunity for
them to reconsider where and what to
study whilst still holding their firm offer.
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The Clearing process
Applicant
contacts
university or
college to
discuss
vacancies
Applicant enters
choice details on
Track
Clearing
If unsuccessful
applicant can
start again
University or
college will
make a decision
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If successfully
placed –
celebrate!
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How can you support the application process?
• Don’t book holidays at key times
e.g. results day
• Engage with the school – find out opening
times and key contacts, use opportunities
provided
• Support your son or daughter’s
management of their application.
• Make sure they read everything they are
sent carefully!
Be there...
Comforting, proofreading,
encouraging, testing,
practicing etc
• Prepare them for living away from home:
• Cost of living – paying bills
• Independent living skills – cooking and
washing.
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Find out more
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